My Cat Kyle Witnessed A Murder

<p> <a class="checked-link" href="http://instagram.com/p/vzqD3gJoU5/">Instagram/MyCatKyle</a><a class="checked-link" href="http://instagram.com/p/vzqD3gJoU5/"></a><span></span> </p>
<p> <a class="checked-link" href="http://instagram.com/p/vzqD3gJoU5/">Instagram/MyCatKyle</a><a class="checked-link" href="http://instagram.com/p/vzqD3gJoU5/"></a><span></span> </p>

Last week marked the five year anniversary of my cat Kyle's confiscation (read: rescue) by police. While the headline sounds alluring, it is a sad sad story that I am always hesitant to share. In short, Kyle lived in a home with 30-plus kitty furriends (read: animal hoard) and two married humans. Unfortunately this was not a happy home and Kyle and his 30-plus furriends were present when a domestic violence incident between them ended fatally. To add to the drama, the animal rescue had a hard time working with police to release the 30-plus cats into the rescue's possession - the police claiming the cats were being held as "evidence." (We prefer not to think about why the cats were being held as evidence.) Weeks later, the rescue was able to secure all the cats and post them on Petfinder.com. That's when we saw Kyle's stache and fell in love.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (#DVAM) but we should remain aware of DV every month. And we should also remember that there are many victims of DV, including furry ones.

Did you know?

More than 70 percent of pet-owning women who enter DV shelters report their batterer threatened, injured, or killed their pet? We often speculate that Kyle's exposure to DV is the reason he is incredibly sensitive to loud noises and nervous to be picked up. After five years in our home he still flinches and runs away when he sees a pick up attempt being made ... only now he immediately circles back and jumps on your lap. This loving, playful, and appreciative attitude Kyle demonstrates, in spite of all the trauma he has faced, inspires our family every day.

In celebration of Kyle's liberation from DV, Kyle has launched an Indiegogo campaign to support an online store that sells Kyle-related products solely to raise money for causes Kyle cares about: Charitable Ca$h 4 Kyle's Stache. One hundred percent of all net proceeds from each and every product will be donated to a non-profit organization or charitable cause.

Did you know?

Up to 45 percent of women stay in abusive relationships out of concern for their pets' safety? That's why our first donation destination is URIPALS: the only DV safe house in NYC equipped to shelter families and their pets.

Kyle is extremely excited about the potential here and he needs your help! Please help spread the word to your friends and family, not only to help Kyle's campaign but also to help raise awareness about all the victims of domestic violence, including the furry ones.

See also: Eight reasons you should endorse my cat Kyle.

(Instagram/MyCatKyle)